The somewhat controversial dedicated bike lanes on First and Second Avenues currently run as far as 49th Street on First Avenue and 59th Street on Second Avenue. Now, in response to growing Community Board support, it looks like the DOT will install protected bike paths from 96th to 125th. Last night the transportation committee of Manhattan Community Board 11 voted to approve dedicated bike paths on both avenues in a vote of 5-1, with two abstentions.
A DOT spokesperson tells us the department is holding off on formally committing to the changes until the full board votes, but last night a department rep confirmed that the design would be the same design as First Avenue—where the protected bike lanes and pedestrian islands reduced injuries by 37 percent without leading to increased congestion. According to Streetsblog, the DOT says work could start on Second Avenue as early as the spring, but no changes would be made in the Second Avenue Subway work zone south of 100th Street until construction there was complete. First Avenue, which already has a bike lane, would be done second.
Though the vote was not unanimous, it appears that CB 6 is poised to embrace the bike lanes. Committee chair Peggy Morales said last night, "I’m not only a cyclist but a mom with four kids who all cycle, and also a driver. It makes complete sense. We should be able to go cycling without having to take our lives into our own hands. This is long overdue."
